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Amittil Crystal Guardsmen
Amittil Crystal Guardsmen The enigmatic cabal known as the Amittil Crystal Guardsmen are an ancient order, rumored to have existed since the close of the First God War. If true, then they at one time were known by some other apellation that has been lost to living memory, as the original nation-city of Amittil was not founded until two centuries before the start of the Second God War. Even then, Old Amittil was located some distance southwest of the Great Momument from which the Guardsmen have always operated. It wasn't until after the Second God War and the destruction of Old Amittil that the nation's survivors moved into the region patrolled by the Guardsmen and established a new Amittil. Oddly, the Crystal Guardsmen paid the refugees little attention, save where the Great Monument itself was threatened. Many of those engaging in such activities simply disappeared, witnesses claiming to have seen the offenders carried inside the Monument, never to be seen again. Once it was learned that the Guardsmen were totally aloof to those who made no aggressive moves against the Monument or committed acts of violence within its vicinity, the rulers of new Amittil moved their seat of government, such as it was, inside the Monument, itself. What stands out most in the minds of scholars and non-Humans is that, to all appearances, the Guardsmen are comprised entirely of what appear to be Humans or Elves in body obscuring cloaks with helms of some crystalline substance covering their heads completely save for the face below the nose. This is a matter of interest as Elves did not appear on Encoron until 500 hundred years before the Second God War, and Humans did not exist until 250 years before the Third God War. As the Great Monument and the Crystal Guardsmen predate the Elves by better than five centuries, this remains one of the great unanswered questions of the ages. Another mystery is that there have never been any more, and never fewer, than 200 Guardsmen seen outside the Great Monument at any given time. Even when a Guardsman falls, there seems to be another instantly ready to take his place. Even during the Second God War, when Aazthkhanak forces assaulted the Great Monument, there was seemingly no shortage of replacement Guardsmen. In combat, the Guardsmen wield powers that some attribute to incredibly powerful sorcery or wizardry. It is difficult to determine which, as every sorceror attempting to mentally probe a Guardsman has to date been unable to make even the most rudimentary connection, and has often suffered effects similar to what happens when a sorceror burns out. Fortunately, this effect has been temporary, but very disturbing for the victim. Among their observed powers are the ability to produce beams of blinding white light that cut through even the thickest armor, a field effect that causes a temporary burnout in all sorcerors within the Guardsmen's line of sight, an imperviousness to all but the most severe physical injuries, and a limited ability to levitate. To date, no one has managed to study the body and equippage of a Guardsman, as taking one alive is next to impossible and, upon death, a Guardsman will burst into all-consuming flames, scorching the ground around him in a five foot radius. Even their signature crystalline helms are left nothing more than greasey ashes. As a fighting force, the guardsmen are incredibly well coordinated, operating in pairs, squads of four, or as full platoons of 24. They have never been seen to operate above platoon level, but Hest has commented that even he would not pit his Devout against the Guardsmen without the most desperate necessity.